A new Waltons movie with Richard Thomas is coming to television

The original John-Boy actor will narrate a rebooted version of “The Homecoming.”

The Everett Collection

Richard Thomas is coming back to Walton's Mountain, in a manner of speaking. He'll be narrating, presumably in the "older John-Boy" role that Early Hamner Jr. played in the original series, a TV holiday special titled The Waltons' Homecoming. Set to air later this year on the CW network, it's a new version of the small-screen movie that first introduced audiences to the Walton family.

The Homecoming: A Christmas Story first aired in December 1971. Based on writer Earl Hamner's real-life upbringing, it followed a large family coping with the hardships of the Great Depression while eagerly awaiting the return of their father on Christmas Eve. It was a much more faithful adaptation of Hamner's life than the 1963 Henry Fonda movie Spencer's Mountain, which was set in the present day and relocated to Wyoming instead of the mountains of Virginia.

The Homecoming was a hit but it wasn't exactly a pilot for The Waltons. It featured the same seven children, including Richard Thomas as John-Boy, but most of the adult roles were given to different actors for the series. Ellen Corby was the only adult actor to be in both The Homecoming and The Waltons.

The new movie is intended to be a standalone special but, like the original Homecoming, could inspire more if the network sees a good enough opportunity. The plot and time period remain similar to the original. John-Boy Walton, who secretly harbors dreams of becoming a writer, must decide between following in his father’s footsteps and striking out on his own. Things are complicated by the fact that his father’s journey home on Christmas Eve is delayed by a terrible storm and John-Boy must venture out to find him.

Besides Richard Thomas returning to narrate, two lead casting announcements have been made. Bellamy Young, who was born in Asheville, North Carolina, and played Mellie Grant in Scandal, will be the new Olivia Walton and Logan Shroyer, who played the younger version of Kevin in This Is Us, will star as John-Boy.

The Everett CollectionBellamy Young in 'Dolly Parton's Heartstrings.'

The Waltons' Homecoming will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first time the famous Virginian family appeared on television. Whether it will inspire a new series next year to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the original show remains to be seen. Leave a comment letting us know what you think of this Waltons reboot.

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68 Comments

PatrickSpeedling777 36 months ago
I think it is fantastic! I recently watched every episode and movie during the pandemic. I was amazed at what an amazingly beautiful show it was. I'm 34 and my grand parents went through the depression and my grandfather fought in world war 2. He also helped liberate Dachau.... I remember hearing stories from my dad's parents about the depression.... They were from queens NY.... They are all gone now so when I have rediscovered the WALTONS from begining to end first movie to the last it made me feel like I was part of the show.... Like my grandparents were alive again.... So many beautiful unexpected emotions. It was unexpected because I didn't realize how deeply the show was going to affect me. The WALTONS is a masterpiece. Times really were like that. I know people who grew up during those much simpler times. I grew up in south Carolina which is also Appalachia. These beautiful type people are almost gone. Their time period must be cherished and even aspects of that time period should be brought back. Family values to tv for one thing. Hollywood has done such a great job of ruining the county by making everything woke.... And racist.... Where it actually is now excuses to behave badly. I hope this reboot continues and they revise the show keeping family values and Jesus Christ as the center piece to how one should act and treat others.
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EmStrong 37 months ago
This is so exciting! I hope it does end up in a spin off! It will never be the same, but Lord we need those values and lessons retaught today! If they do it tho, I really hope they don't go dark and over dramatic like they do all the shows, and especially spin offs today! The best thing about the Walton's is the family aspect. All ages can watch it. And you can really take away good advice, morals etc from it. The pureness, if you will. It's exactly what we need today!
Spencer1146 EmStrong 20 months ago
"family aspect. All ages can watch it. And you can really take away good advice, morals etc from it." Beautiful. i started watching when i left my home in Texas to go back to my childhood home and take care of my dad. alot of hard days and night taking care of a dying man. the show was my escape in the quite times when the night sound was only a respirator for company. immersing myself in this family gave me inspiration for family and reminded me of nature that i had not visited.
Rcmbrooklyn 38 months ago
I think it will be nice to see the new version of the Walton's. It will be very interesting to watch. I looking forward to seeing it.
hummingbirds 40 months ago
I don’t know I’ll give try to give it a chance but it’s hard to watch shows where different actors step in to play old favorites
adamshelby 40 months ago
Hopefully as good as the original. The waltons has been my favorite since I was 3/4 years old
GaryWalden 41 months ago
It's going to be a flop, without having some of the original kid actors in it...not going to watch it.
Ric 41 months ago
Greetings. As for another series like "The Waltons", Good is Good, no matter when it happens. The qualities of The Waltons are timeless, universal. Every generation stands to benefit from them.
Cyn_Finnegan 41 months ago
Hate to break this to the racist haters, but political correctness was created by the Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt, Germany to spread communism outside the borders of the USSR. It's been adopted, not by Liberals, but by the very people who falsely call Liberals communists. It is, in fact, a "kinder, gentler" form of racism.
Cyn_Finnegan Cyn_Finnegan 41 months ago
By the way, in the original series, the Walton family had black neighbors. They were featured/shown several times during the series' run.
41 months ago
Personally, I don't think they need to make a reboot of The Waltons. Leave well enough alone.
sierra127 41 months ago
On the
Walton Mmmm maybe. Call it the. Nexts Generation New cast along with old cast. Bring back old Footage for. Them to remember their family with old hardships and. Pass Reality we all have ancestors and start up a Generation
litehawk 41 months ago
So when is the date of this Walton's reboot.
Deleted 41 months ago
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lynngdance 41 months ago
MeTV is no place for that kind of offensive language! Gee, and I thought it was bad when people started talking about politics in the comment section, but racial slurs?!?!? This can NOT be tolerated. I’ve reported you, and I encourage others to do the same. Let’s put aside the fact that MeTV is (unless this keeps up) a friendly, lighthearted place to talk about classic Tv, I don’t care where you say stuff like that, it’s cruel no matter where you say it. It’s very sad that people still use such racist language, and have the audacity to say it online. All people deserve respect.
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CelticTwilight 41 months ago
Old racist white guy is upset over tv becoming more diverse, what a shock. 🙄
Corey 41 months ago
Tim is right. Hollywood is woke so it wouldn't be surprising that they would pull the PC crap.
Abitibibob 41 months ago
Looks like you don't have the intellect to allow for differences of opinion without calling someone a racist!
CelticTwilight 41 months ago
Another racist equating diversity with, how did you phrase it, "PC crap."
41 months ago
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lillymarie 41 months ago
I like the idea of a new Walton movie. I always loved to watch the waltons & we need shows like that again.
pdbronco 41 months ago
Just show the original. It was a great made-for-TV movie. There is no need to reboot everything. It just shows that Hollywood has lost all creativity.
robert pdbronco 27 months ago
Patricia Neal was mean to those kids. Surprised most of them didn't run away like Jim Bob once did later.
remodel18 41 months ago
I can't imagine other actors taking the place of the original. Sometimes it is best to leave well enough alone.
Kbrown 41 months ago
I look forward to the new Homecoming movie.
DwayneWest 41 months ago
Why not just have a nice Christmas movie with the original cast of the Waltons? I think people would like to see what they all look like today in a new movie. I can't imagined doing a reboot. Believe me I've seen plenty of them and it just isn't the same.
CountStone62 DwayneWest 41 months ago
I agree with you.
Corey DwayneWest 41 months ago
The only elder Walton who is still alive is Michael Learned aka Olivia Walton.
JoyceYost DwayneWest 41 months ago
I also agree with your idea, Dwayne. 100%
Kenner DwayneWest 41 months ago
That would be nice except many of the originals are DEAD now.
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